How to Write Job Postings That Attract Diverse Candidates

Most companies claim to care about building diverse teams. Most companies also use job postings written by committee, copied from last year's template, loaded with jargon, and full of requirements that were aspirational rather than actual. Then they wonder why their applicant pool is homogeneous.

Job posting language matters. Research has shown repeatedly that word choice affects who self-selects in versus out. Some of this is about obvious issues; much of it is subtler.

Studies have shown that men tend to apply for jobs when they meet around 60 percent of the stated requirements, while women tend to apply only when they meet close to 100 percent. Long, aspirational requirement lists disproportionately discourage qualified candidates who don't see themselves as a perfect match.

Be ruthlessly honest about which requirements are truly necessary on day one versus what someone could learn in three months on the job. Separate genuine hard requirements from nice-to-haves. If you've listed fifteen requirements and a new hire could realistically succeed with eight of them, your list is too long and it's narrowing your pool.

Certain words in job postings are associated with masculine-coded language — terms like "dominant," "competitive," "aggressive," or "ninja" — and tend to attract fewer female applicants. Tools like Textio or even a careful manual review can flag these patterns. This isn't about policing language; it's about using words that accurately describe the role without unnecessarily filtering your audience.

Avoid corporate jargon and unnecessarily complex sentences. "We are seeking a highly motivated self-starter to leverage synergies across a dynamic team" is saying almost nothing while managing to put off a broad swath of readers. Plain language that actually describes the work tends to attract more candidates, and the right candidates.

Be specific about what the job actually involves day-to-day. Candidates from non-traditional backgrounds often can't read between the lines of vague postings. A specific description of the actual work helps people self-assess accurately.

The posting itself signals what working there will be like. Mentioning flexibility, parental leave, or support for professional development signals a company where people are seen as whole people, not just output. If those things are true at your company, say so explicitly.

A specific, accurate salary range is also a signal of respect and transparency. Candidates from underrepresented groups are often less likely to negotiate aggressively, which means salary opacity tends to compound existing pay gaps. Publishing a real range levels that playing field.